Thirst: Jon Bonné shares Randy Dunn‘s Cabernet crusade. Dunn — the 66-year-old winemaker who has made one of Napa Valley’s top wines for 30 years — has been trying to reverse the upward spiral of alcohol in Cabernet. He’s also been trying to get wine publications to review higher-alcohol wines separately from lower-alcohol wines:

But now he has a vital new piece of ammunition. He and two UC Davis researchers are preparing to publish research that confirms what Dunn has insisted for years: Tasting higher-alcohol wines affects the way we taste lower-alcohol wines, especially in a large grouping.

Spirits: Camper English explores the brave new world of carbonated cocktails, and the new tools that local bartenders are using to give drinks fizz at places like Spoonbar, Tradition, Chez Papa and so on.

Chef’s Night In: Janny Hu does dinner at home with Will and Karen Gioia. Read on to learn how the couple met, and how they work their schedules around running two restaurants. Included: their recipe for Chicken al Mattone.

Chef’s Secrets: Behold the recipe for Zuni Cafe‘s famous flourless chocolate cake. One of the secrets? Coffee.

49 Square Miles: It’s our penultimate square, and Square 48 is on the cusp of Candlestick Park. The winner is Piccolo Pete, a deli/liquor store/takeout counter that “is the place to get food before heading over to the stadium.”

Taster’s Choice: Crucial bagel-related research this week from the Taster’s Choice crew: What’s the best cream cheese out there? Find out which brands came out on top.